Wealthy Towns, the Commons and Elitism
There! Look here! I made a post which later I attempted to publish but server refused. Instead I published it a as a comment at WealthBondage. But few days passed and there I was again looking at doing something here, like posting, writing, putting words you know and I found that perhaps I could sorf of kind of post it here, as it was already written you know. So here it is below for archival purposes since the action is really at
WealthBondage with Tutor even saying Bravo! to Kombinat! as if that could pay our bills but of course saying Bravo! to K! is good, it goes right to feed this author's elitist ego. So more Bravos! please. We do have plenty of Bravos! in our basement but we'll be happy to store any new ones coming our ways as well. One never knows when one can be in desperate need of a Bravo! and when that day comes we'll just go down to the basement and pick one or two to fight the gloom of daily living which is so so heavy you know.
OK so of to that post here for archival purposes.
I rarely write posts that make a point
nowadays. Today I am thinking of writing one suspecting that I will completely lose you, my reader in my elucidations for I am attempting to
write on the topic of Commons and Wealthy Towns as I was prompted by my last visit to
The Happy Tutor's blog (as I am often wont to do for its efficacy to nourish my mind and diminish my stupidity for just one more day) where I found the link to
David Bollier's post on Wealthy Towns, the Commons and Elitism from which I quote:
"it can be far easier for rich people to defend the commons than it is for communities of low-income people, who may have few political choices. Wealthy towns have already got theirs, and can more easily “afford” to forgo that last, extra increment of market gain. Poorer towns are forever scrambling for whatever economic gains they can eke out. Corporations are only too aware of this vulnerability and have become experts in preying upon it, donning a mantle of populism to push through projects that will enrich their shareholders."
It is simply shocking to see such a nice person as David make such a completely incorrect assumption on what motivates 'The Rich' to be champions of the commons as he calls them. The guess presented in the beginning of the post "When do the wealthy become champions of the commons? (...) it's when market activity begins to destroy things that they value, and it becomes clear that only an intact commons can save them" is a bit nostalgic and simply wrong. Let us not think for a moment that the rich who live in towns like Hercules, California or the Island of Nantucket can "forgo that last, extra increment of market gain." It may seem that 'they can easily afford it' but they never will for indeed their banning the large chains stores from their historic downtowns, or waterfronts is done in the name of economic gain. It is exactly that 'extra increment of market gain'
We should not measure the value propositions of The Rich using the measurement devices of The Poor. Only The Poor would say "Look, even the rich now know the value of commons" - In fact The Rich might say "We know the value of our wealth but you, The Poor, assume that we value The Commons". - The rich do value the commons, 'their' commons which they call 'our' Commons where 'our' doesn't include 'the poor'. Indeed the 'Value Proposition' of the island of Nantucket is the very act of banning the large chain stores from its downtown. The Wealthy Towns know how to get that 'extra increment of market gain'. Many people who live in such towns are indeed shareholders in Corporations that build large chains stores in millions of other poor towns. Why would they need a large chains store in their backyard? They make their money from you having such a store in yours.
If you seem to think now that I paint the Rich as greedy assholes I am safely assuming that you are viewing this post with the eyes of The Poor. Yes, many of them are assholes yet the Poor greedy assholes far outnumber them in every town in the U.S but that is not the point. The point is that 'The Commons' is not a matter of the Rich or the Poor and who gains from its existence. Any conversation framed by the economic gain will never be a conversation about The Commons. It will be a conversation about the economic gain.
Candidia in her post epitomizes the 'for ever framed by Wealth Bondage' view of The Commons in her saying "You take the Wealth Bondage SuperCenter and I will make sure the Dumpster is behind a nice green shrub." Candidia knows all too well (only because Tutor is here moral advisor) that 'inside the WealthBondage' the conversation will always be about WealthBondage no matter what the topic is. As long as it is 'inside Wealth Bondage' she 'benefits'. Our Civility (whatever is left of it) dictates that conversation be about responsibility, participation, equality of access, participation, governance of the spaces we share, the culture we create, the very language we speak. It is not a conversation 'outside' WealthBondage, it is an all together separate conversation. I purposefully did not include the word 'ownership' for The Commons can not be bought or sold and it has only one owner. (Here is a note for stupid people: Any conversation outside Wealth Bondage is inside WealthBondage so don't ask who the owner is and quit that addiction to stupid questions)
Let us also not make a mistake here and assume that we know what The Commons is (are?). I believe the conversation has disappeared and reviving it in the context of the economic advantage will not be a conversation about The Commons any more (see note for stupid people above) The Commons is a phenomenon of civic life, cultured life, civilized life. Let us look at history, remnants of the past but let us not be nostalgic about them less we relegate ourselves to mere spectators as Capital parades before our eyes tossing us trinkets for momentary amusements. As Citizens of United States it is our obligation to not only participate in the parade but to lead it and most of all we must decide where and how Capital marches with us. The parade begins in Town Halls with strong local governments. It's were Citizenship meets Capital and they have a conversation about The Commons. it seems Wealthy Towns know it even though they are mired in WealthBondage.
That's about it. Thanks for reading.
